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May 10, 1927.

1,628,327 1.. E. PARKER I SLIDE FEEDER FOR MATCH MACHINES I Filed May 29, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented May 10, 1927.

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LUOIAN E. PARKER, OF WADSWORTI'I, OHIO, ASSIGNOB. TO THE OHIO MATCH COM- PANY, OF WADSWORTH, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

SLIDE FEEDER FOR MATCH MACHINES.

Application filed May 29,

The object of this invention is to provide a device for automatically arranging the slides of match boxes in such regular uniform order that they may be introduced into the slide positioning mechanism of a match boxing machine Without hand manipulation. v

With the use of my slide feeder I am enabled to so materially expedite the arrangement of slides in the required uniform order that failure in the supply of slides to the boxing machines is eliminated, and the output of arranged slides from my device is so much in excess of the output where the slides are arranged by hand, that the num ber of machine attendants may be materially decreased. Obviously, this results in a saving in time and labor, and, consequently in cost of production of boxed matches.

The invention consists in a slide feeder for match machines comprising, broadly, an inclined feeder trough provided with a plurality of similar alternately oppositely inclined guide members arranged longitudinally of the trough and spaced apart to form paths to receive the slides. Slides deposited haphazard in the trough will fall into these paths and ultimately assume a predetermined position therein and will 1 travel down the paths until they are arrested in uniform series by stop members arranged for simultaneous operation to release successive series of slides in uniform predetermined order, as I will proceed now to explain and finally-claim.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the feeder trough. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the discharge end of the trough, upon a larger scale.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a feeder trough having an inclined bottom 1 and sides 2. Arranged upon the bottom 1, lengthwise thereof, is a plurality ofsimilar guide members 3 having their top edges bevelled as at 4 and alternately oppositely inclined. The inclined top edges of these members reach a common level in a line 5 1924. Serial No. 716,676.

lying substantially at the transverse center of the trough. The guide members are spaced apart to form paths 6 of such Width as to receive the match-box slides upon their sides or ends but in no other position;

Adjacent to the discharge ends 7, of the paths 6, and beneath the bottom 1 of the feeder trough is arranged a transverse rock shaft 8 mounted in suitable bearings 9, at opposite sides of the trough, and carrying a plurality of stop members 10 which project through openings 11 formed in the bottom 1 substantially centrally of the discharge ends of the paths 6. Upon the ends of this rock shaft 8 are mounted rock levers 12 carrying a rod 13 by means of which the rock shaft and With it the stop members 10 may be moved. A springl, connected to one of the rock levers 12 and to the side of the trough, furnishes means for returning the rock shaft to normal position after it has been rocked by means of the rod 13, ashereinafter explained. Set screws 15 and 16 carried in brackets 17, mounted at opposite sides of the trough and embracing the rock levers 12, are provided for limiting the movement of the rock levers, and consequently of the stop members 10, in both directions. The adjusting screws 15 are particularly adapted to provide for adjusting the height at which the ends of the stop members 10 extend above the upper surface of the bottom 1 for the purpose of arresting movement of the slides down the paths.

It is desired to discharge the slides from the paths in positions resting upon their sides, as indicated at a (Fig. 1), and they are in this position when they reach the stop members 10, and in order to prevent them from turning up upon their ends when they strike against the stop members, I provide a bar 18 extending transversely of the trough adjacent to the discharge ends of the paths, against which any slides which have a tendency to upend upon engagement with the stop members 10, will strike and be caused to drop back into the paths in proper position.

11 angle member 19 is provided on an extension 20 of the bottom 1 to receive the discharged slides and hold them in proper alignment.

ill

For the purpose of feeding slides to the trough in proper quantities, I may provide a hopper 21 (Fig. 1) having a bottom formed of a plurality of bolts 22 running over similar pulleys 23 and 2% arranged upon shafts and :26 at opposite ends of the hopper respectively, the shaft 26 being provided With a hand wheel .1? having hand grips :28 by which it and the shaft may be turned to impart movement to the belts 53:3 in the direc" tion of the arrow.

The whole device may be mormted upon a suitable supporting fran'ieworl: 29.

The operation of the device is as follows :5 lides are dumped in a mass into the hopper 21. from which they may be fed in suitable (piantities to the feeder trough by appropriate movement of the belts 22. It will of course be understood that the slides fall into the feeder trough in haphazard arrangement, and in so falling will drop upon the guide members 2%, and teetering upon same, will fall between them and into the paths 6. .is above pointed out. due to the spacing: of these guide members. the slides can only fall between them so as to rest on the bot tom i upon their sides or ends. Any slides which so fall into the trough to span the paths (3 and rest upon the tops of adjacent guides will. due to the inclines of the feeder trough and the guides. slide down the tops of the guides until. due to the difference in the relative heights of adjacent guides. they slide off the guides in either direction laterally and drop into the paths.

its hereinheiore pointed out. it is essential. to the proper functioning of the device. that all of the s lesrest upon their sides upon reachingthe point o f discharge from the paths, and the incline of the bottom of the feeder trough is such that any slides which drop into the paths upon their ends will. due to the influence of gravity upon them, fall over upon their sides.

All of the slides resting: in the paths between the guides will travel by gravity down the bottom it until their trarei is urrested by the stops it). and all of the stops ltl lyingin a l ne across the discharge ends of the paths. the slides in stopping against them will be arranged in uniform series in the paths.

il hen it is desired to discharge a series of slides from the paths, the operator gg'ras 'is thc rod l3 and moves it against the tension of the spring lei. This movement of the rod i i is transmitted through the rock ievers l2 to the rock shaft 8 and hence to the stop members 10 and the stop members are swung downward so that their slide-engaging ends are depressed below the plane of the upper surface of the bottom 1. This movement of all of the stop members it) simultaneously permits a row or series of slides to be discharged from the paths onto the extension Where they will come to rest in alignment against the member 19. The operator may then, by placing her hand hehind the slide at one side of the device, push against this slide and clear the slides from the extension 20 in imiform order and arrangement, and thus sweep them into an ap propriate chute or other conveyor (not shown) through which they are carried to the boxing machine.

Obviously as soon as 1 series of slides released by the stop members it), the operator allows the spring let to return the stop members to their normal slide arresting position to thereby arrest the travel of the succeeding series of slides down the paths.

This operation may be repeated as often as required, and at each repetition a series of slides arranged in predetermined un'iforrn order will be discharged from the paths.

As the supply of slides in the feeder trough becomes diminished, it may be replenished by appropriate manipulation of the hand wheel 27 to discharge more slides from the hopper 21 into the trough.

It will thus be seen that I provide an extremely simple and eflicient device for automatically arranging match-box slides in uniform order, and for feeding same in such order to a match boningmachine. hioreover, the device is of cheap construction and few parts. and has no mechanism which is apt to become broken or get. out of adjustment in use.

Various changes are contemplated as with in the spirit of the invention and the scope of the following claims.

hat I claim is:

1. In a slide feeder for match machines, a feeder trough adapted to feed slides by gravity. a plurality of alternately oppositely inclined guide members uniformly spaced apart to form slide receiving paths between them, whereby slides deposited in said trough in haphazard arrangement. will fall into said paths and under the influence of gravity assume uniform predetermined positions therein and travel therethrough in such positions, a stop member arrangedv adjacent to the discharge end of each path for the purpose of arresting the travel of the slides therein, and means for simultaneously moving all of said stop members out of slide arresting positiion for the purpose of successively feeding series of slides from said paths in uniform predetermined order.

2. In a slide feeder for match machines, an inclined feeder trough, a, plurality of alterl'iately oppositely inclined guide mem bers arranged longitudinally of said trough and uniformly spaced apart: to form paths adapted to receive in uniform predetermined positions slides discharged upon said guide. members in haphazard ar 'angement, said slides adapted to travel in said paths down the incline of said feeder trough, a stop member located adjacent to the discharge end of each path for arrest-ing travel of the slides therein, and means for simultaneously moving all of said stop members out of slide arresting position for the purpose of successively feeding series of slides from said paths in uniform predetermined order.

3. In a slide feeder for match machines, an inclined feeder trough, a plurality of similar alternately oppositely inclined guide members arranged longitudinally of said trough and uniformly spaced apart to form paths to receive slides deposited in haphazard arrangement upon said guide members, said paths capable of receiving the slides upon their sides or ends and not otherwise and the incline of said trough causing slides received in the paths upon their ends to turn upon their sides, a stop member arranged adjacent to the discharge end of each path and adapted to arrest travel of the slides therein, and means for simultaneously moving all of said stop members out of slide arresting position, for the purpose of successively feeding successive series of slides from said paths in uniform predetermined order.

4. In a slide feeder for match machines, an inclined feeder trough, a plurality of similar alternately oppositely inclined guide members arranged longitudinally .of said trough and uniformly spaced apart to form paths to receive slides deposited in haphazard arrangement upon said guide members, said paths capable of receiving the slides upon their sides or ends and not otherwise and the incline of said trough causing slides received in the paths upon their ends to turn upon their sides, a stop member arranged adjacent to the discharge end of each path and adapted to arrest travel of the slides therein, means for preventing slides striking against said stops from turning to endup position, and means for simultaneously moving all of said stop members out of slide arresting position, for the purpose of successively feeding successive series of slides from said paths in uniform predetermined order.

5. In a slide feeder for match machines, a feeder trough having an inclined bottom, a plurality of similar alternately oppositely inclined guide members arranged longitudinally of said trough and uniformly spaced apart to form paths adapted to receive in predetermined uniform arrangement slides deposited upon the guide members in haphazard arrangement, said slides travelling on the trough bottom by gravity due to its incline, a stop member for each of said paths extending thereinto through said bottom and adapted to arrest travel of the slides therein in uniform series, and means for simultaneouslydepressing all of said stop members to successively feed successive series of slides from the paths in uniform predetermined order.

6. In a slide feeder for match machines, a feeder trough having an inclined bottom, a plurality of similar alternately oppositely inclined guide'members arranged longitudinally of said trough and uniformly spaced apart to form paths adapted to receive in predetermined uniform arrangement slides deposited upon the guide members in haphazard arrangement, said slides travelling on the trough bottom by gravity due to its incline, a rock shaft arranged transversely beneath said trough adjacent to the discharge ends of said paths and carrying a plurality of stop members one of same extending into each of said paths through said bottom and adapted to arrest the travel of slides down said paths, and a rock lever for actuating said shaft to simultaneously move all of said stop members out of slide arresting position, for the purpose of feeding series of slides from the paths in uniform predetermined order.

7 In a slide feeder for match machines, a feeder trough having an inclined bottom, a plurality of similar alternately oppositely inclined guide members arranged longitudinally of said trough and uniformly spaced apart to form paths adapted to receive in predetermined uniform arrangement slides deposited upon the guide members in haphazard arrangement, said slides travelling on the trough bottom by gravity due to its incline, a rock shaft arranged transversely beneath said trough adjacent to the discharge ends of said paths and carrying aplurality of stop members one of same extending into each of said paths through said bottom and adapted to arrest the travel of slides down said paths, a rock lever for actuating said shaft to simultaneously move all of said stop members out of slide arresting position, for the purpose of feeding series of slides from the paths in uniform predetermined order, means for returning the stop members to slide-arresting position, and adjustable means for limiting such return movement to provide for proper slide-arresting adjustment of the stop members with respect to the trough bottom.

8. In a slide feeder for match machines, a feeder trough having an inclined bottom, a plurality of similar alternately oppositely inclined guide members arranged longitudinally of said trough and uniformly spaced apart to form paths adapted to receive in predetermined uniform arrangement slides deposited upon the guide members in haphazard arrangement, said slides travelling on the trough bottom by gravity due to its incline, a rock shaft arranged transversely beneath said trough adjacent to the discharge ends of said paths and carrying a [1111 :flity of stop members one of same ex- (el lding into each 01. said paths through said bottom and adapted to arrest the travel of slides down said paths. a wok lever fur actuating s aicl shaftto in1ultaneously move all of said stqp members out of slidwmrrestillgposition, for the purpose of feeding series of slides from the paths in uigifqmn predetermined order, and meam for limit ing the movement (if said. rock lever.

Tn testgimpny whemqf I have hereunto 591; my hand this QTth (lay of May, A. D. 19,,

:LUGIAN PARKER. 

